“That’s a big bag, Sinivyn,” I said, trying to build some kind of rapport with the half-gnomes.
“Not a bag, fairy. It’s a snatchel. A satchel for snacks.” He didn’t turn around, focusing all his attention on the field.
“Oh.”
Sebastian’s eyes cracked open, and he grinned at me. He was really enjoying how uncomfortable I made them. The minutes passed quietly, and Enivyn began building a fire in the ring of stones.
“Why are you staying?” Sinivyn asked. “You should go to the village.”
“Someone may be coming after us this time. I don’t want to be surprised.”
“Because of the fairy?”
“Yes. And because I disobeyed the Queen.”
Sinivyn turned around in the chair, his brow furrowed even more. “Why?”
“Rose may be able to fill the empty seat, and Seraphina wants her dead.”
Sinivyn’s eyes moved from Sebastian to me as though he were really seeing me for the first time. “She has very dark wings,” he said softly. “And she smells strongly.”
“This is dangerous. Very dangerous. Why did you bring her here?”
Sebastian finally sat up and opened his eyes. “Because this is the safest place I can think of. I’m not asking you to protect her. I just need her away from everyone else so that I can begin training her before I bring her to Court.”
Enivyn had stopped building the fire, and he was staring at the two of them. Sinivyn stood up and reached into the snatchel, pulling out an apple that had small splotches of purple on it.
He took a bite as he continued to stare at Sebastian. “I understand. You saved us. You’re saving her. Each of us brought danger to the village. Not this much, but that does not matter. We will not be angry.” He nodded to Sebastian and then to me.
“I will trust you a little, fairy,” he said and turned back to stare out the window, quietly eating the apple that was nearly as big as his head.
Sebastian closed his eyes again and leaned back against the wall as Enivyn went back to building the fire.
This was the strangest experience I’d ever had. Even compared to everything else that I’d gone through. Even compared to being hunted by an assassin.
I didn’t know how I felt about Sebastian saying that he was going to bring me to the Dark Court. I hadn’t agreed to that. I’d agreed only to being brought somewhere safe, and from everything, and I mean everything, that Sebastian had said, the Dark Court was one of the least safe places in either of the Realms.
I set my jaw. That warning that had been screaming at me since I’d grown my wings told me that if this was what it took to learn how to use my powers, then this was what I needed to do. No matter what, I had to do that in order to survive in this new world. This world of purple grass and apples. A world with two moons. A world where half-gnomes telling me I smelled strongly was not unusual.
A world where one man hunted me and another fed on me.
Chapter 18
Sebastian
I was already so drained. Nyx would be at nearly full strength. I truly hoped that he wouldn’t be able to find the portal, that he would have to report to Seraphina that he lost us.
I doubted that it would be that simple, though. I thought back on my mentor, on the only man whom I’d ever looked up to. He was the best. Even better than myself. There was a good reason that he was the leader of the Assassin’s Guild. He was an excellent duelist as well. Plus, he had two daggers where I had only one.
If I were at full power, I would have been the expected winner. I was nowhere near full strength, and if I were a betting man, I wouldn’t bet on me. I had to conserve my strength. Every drop of it.
So I rested, my head against the wall as Rose, Sinivyn, and Enivyn talked. I didn’t pay very much attention. Eventually, Sinivyn handed me a plate of food, and I ate it, not caring what it was. The fairy part of me could still regain my strength through eating, though not nearly as fast as full-blooded fairies could.
I glanced at Rose. I knew what I would have done with nearly anyone else. I couldn’t do that with her, though. I’d already forced one experience with her. It wouldn’t be enough to tip the scales anyway. No, I didn’t have the time to feed the way that I needed to.
And if Nyx found us while we were in the middle, before I’d actually fed, then I’d be even weaker than I was now. I sighed and asked for seconds. Sinivyn loaded the plate up again. He narrowed his eyes at me, realizing just how weak I was.
I ate silently as the rest of them ate and talked. Rose seemed to enjoy Enivyn’s antics and hearing about the village. She would love it there. She’d feel more at home there than anywhere she’d ever lived, and she’d finally have a moment to get her bearings.
I let out a slow breath before getting off the ground. I put the plate on the stack of dishes that Sinivyn would end up doing today. I glanced around, seeing that everyone’s eyes were on me.
They all recognized that I was conserving my strength. Enivyn and Sinivyn would be wondering why I didn’t feed on Rose, but they wouldn’t question me. Not the gnomes. Of all the people in this sanctuary, these two and their brother would never question me.
I closed my eyes and tried to rest as I sat back down, letting the food become strength. It was nowhere near as good as sexual energy, but it
